Films About Ghosts
by down the oubliette
Summary: While they need all the help they can get, She’s playing games. And while they don’t understand now, They’ll be thanking her later... If dreams are like movies then memories are films about ghosts. AUish, MWPP Era. L/J S/OC R/OC
1. Chapter 1

While _they_ need all the help they can get…

_She's_ playing games.

And while they don't understand now…

They'll be thanking her later.

I'll tell you right now that I'm not the main character of this story. You may think that, especially once you get into it, but it's not true. I'm just a supporting actress in Blaire's life. I'm just the girl telling you her story. A story in which I happen to have a fairly major part.

You see, this story is about Blaire. Not Lily and James or Sirius and me. Blaire. It's about Blaire because Blaire was the first to go. She was always the one to bring us back to reality. Of course, it was usually a positive thing.

Not this time. Because this time she brought us from a world of NEWTS and curfews, of being students and lowly interns at whatever job we had chosen, to a world plagued by war and fear. Into a world full of death. Yes, death. Blaire is dead.

The story starts with me, of course. Because I'm the ending, and like so many great stories, this one begins at the ending. I'll let you know this story doesn't have a happy ending, but you should know that. You should know that after Blaire comes James, then Lily, then Sirius, Peter, and Remus. One by one until I'm the only one left. It was years after the last death that I woke up and realized that.

I did, though. I just woke up one day and the first thought that popped into my mind, was, as usual, one of Sirius. It was that he, and everyone else, had left me here. So naturally I retreated to somewhere quiet. Yes, naturally I retreated to a household with four small children. Grimmauld Place.

"LOOK DADDY! There's a strange lady sitting on the doorstep!" called an eight-year-old James Potter to his father, Harry.

"Okay James…" he replied unconsciously, not really paying attention. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I was just telling you that there's a strange lady on the doorstep."

At this point Harry stopped to look out the window and opened the door. "Umm, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

I laughed ironically. "I'm Maria Black." I said, silently adding, 'Your first cousin once removed, godmother, and your mother's best friend.' He looked at me strangely and I spoke again. "Go ahead, you can't let me into your house yet. Do your little background check. Why, you can even stick your head into McGonagall's office and ask if she knows who I am. She will.

In fact, ask her to give the first five names she thinks of when she hears 'Maria Black'. Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Blaire Laforest." I laughed once more. "Funny, isn't it? Five people you think of when you hear my name and they're all dead."

"How did you know my…and…Sirius…and Remus…" he trailed off and disappeared inside, no doubt to follow my instructions.

HPOV

As soon as I was in the door I stuck my head in the fireplace and reached McGonagall's office, just as the woman outside had suggested. She jumped at my sudden appearance. "Harry! What are you doing here?"

"Professor, I'm going to give you a name, and you're going to give me the first five names that come to mind when I say it, okay?"

"What's going on?"

"Will you just do it?"

"Okay, Mr. Potter, but-

But, I cut her off. "Maria Black."

She looked startled, but was true to her word. "Your parents, your godfather, Remus Lupin, and," she paused, out of sadness of a memory rather than thought, and finally added, "Blaire Laforest. But, Mr. Potter, I really must know where you heard that particular name."

"She's sitting on my doorstep."

"She's dead!"

"She looked pretty alive."

I withdrew my head from the flames as she prepared to jump into them. Just who was this girl? There was a Black I had never heard of? I snapped out of my reverie when my former transfiguration teacher appeared beside me, walking briskly toward the door, and, upon opening it to find Maria having a conversation with James, abruptly fainted. (if that made any sense at all)

The woman pointed her want at Minerva and muttered "Ennervate." The word rolled off her tongue, as if she said it incredibly often. Perhaps she was a healer. She was clearly good with the spell, for Minerva was up and on her feet very quickly.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked.

"Of course." She said. "I'll tell you a story. Minerva, you already know most of the story. Not the end, of course, or rather the middle, because this is the end, but you know much of it."

"Of course." I stuttered. She took a seat in the living room and began to speak.


	2. your middle name is always

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

"When I was nineteen years old," I said. "I did something terrible. And not a day has gone by that I don't think about it." I could feel the tears fill my eyes, although I hadn't even started the story yet. "That day…which was supposed to be so joyous…was a complete disaster. I call it the catastrophe. There are two people who remember it perfectly. The first is me. The second I will get to soon."  
Even as the words escaped my mouth I could feel myself drifting back into the story…into the hell that was my life in the second year of teacher training, in the weeks leading up to the catastrophe. I smiled at the memories, painful as they were, because they were still there. So many others had faded so far into the back of my mind that despite my wildest attempts I could not retrieve them. I smiled at the memories because as stressful as they were, I was young then. I smiled at the memories because we were all there. And young, and ignorant, and blissful. We were naïve and stupid, but we had fun. So I was glad to be back, for a moment.

"Remus and I were at Hogwarts, as TAs. Training to be professors. James, Lily, and Sirius were, of course, in auror training, and Blaire, as well as Peter, was at Mungo's in healer training. Blaire's sister…the other one…was in her third year…"

((((((((()))))))))

"Miss Medici, care to answer the question?" Slughorn asked when a cocky fourth year named Gregory forgot the number of rat tails in minkerfoils. I laughed, it was ridiculously simple. Greg Trenton was just like James sometimes.

"Eight, sir, for three doses. You'd do well to remember that, mister Trenton."

The boy's friends snickered, and I grinned triumphantly. I loved the younger classes a bit more than I probably should have…they made me feel much smarter than I actually am. "Perhaps I would," He retorted, a bit late, "If the professor was competent enough to explain so that I might manage it."

I glared, and Slughorn's face brightened with rage and embarrassment. "Detention, and fifty points from Gryffindor!" He called. The boy continued.

"That's my eighth detention this week, Sluggy. Probably some sort of Hogwarts record. Thanks." He proceeded to high five all the guys around him, who cheered and whooped like crazy. I laughed outwardly.

"Please, Gregory. The current record for most detentions obtained in one week here at Hogwarts is 26, and is held by three people." The class was stunned. I rolled my eyes. Fifteen had been commonplace when I was in school, thanks to James and Black. "In case you're wondering, they're James Potter, Sirius Black, and your very own Defense TA, Remus Lupin."

I looked down as I said the last name, to the ring that had sparkled on my left hand for the past seven months. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. The plans were made, the date was set. All that was left was to await its arrival. My reverie was broken into by the scoffs of the boys.

"Right. Like Lupin ever got a detention." Greg said skeptically.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." I said, a mischievous glint in my eye. I'd been with Remus for five years. We'd had our fair share of detentions. Then again, hadn't everyone at Hogwarts? "He was always more responsible than James or Black, but still."

"We'll have to ask him about this…" Gregory mused. I shot him a warning glance.

"I said nothing." I said firmly. "Now on with the lesson."

(((((((((((())))))))))

I snapped out of the memory as quickly as I fell into it. "You wouldn't happen to have a glass of pumpkin juice?" I asked Harry.

"Oh, um, sure…" He got up, and returned a moment later, handing me a glass. I took a long drink before resuming my tale. "As I was saying…"

A/N: Thoughts? REVIEW! I know it's short, and I'm really dissatisfied so I'll probably re-post it later, but…for now, a contest! SOMEONE SEND ME A PICTURE! Of an engagement ring, for Maria. If I like it, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you.


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